The present invention relates to a composite heat sink and a method for assembling the composite heat sink, and more particularly to a composite heat sink with high density fins and a method for assembling the composite heat sink with high density fins.
An integrated circuit chip is widely used in an electrical appliance such as a computer. When the electrical appliance operates, the chip generates energy in the form of heat. If the chip is unable to transfer enough heat to ambient air, the elevated operating temperature may result in damage of the chip or the breakdown of the whole appliance. In order to remove most heat generated from the chip, especially a CPU (central processing unit), a heat sink is usually provided and attached on the top surface of the chip. The heat sink is made of a highly thermal conductive material such as aluminum and copper and has a larger surface area than the attached chip for improving heat transfer. Since the surface area has a major influence on the overall heat transfer, the heat sink is generally constructed to have a flat base with a plurality of parallel fins or pin fins extending outwardly therefrom. Furthermore, in order to dissipate more heat, a heat sink with a greater number of fins, which is referred as a high-density fin heat sink, is developed.
Generally, the heat sink is a parallel finned heat sink. The typical process for fabricating heat sinks includes an extrusion process, a gang sawing process and a bonding process. It is known that the thickness and number of fins produced by the extrusion process are restricted by the structural limitation and stress loading limitation of a die. If the number of fins increases, the die fingers become weaker and thus easily break off. Therefore, the extrusion process is not suitable for fabricating the high-density fin heat sink. The gang sawing process is performed by cutting off portions of a metal block to produce fins having predetermined thickness, number, depth and gap, which results in a great loss of material. In the bonding process, each fin is individually bonded into a base of a heat sink, which is time-consuming and labor intensive. In addition, the fins which are not well-bonded into the base are likely to fall and thus be detached from the base.
Therefore, the present invention provides an improved process for fabricating a heat sink with high-density fins for overcoming the problems described above.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a composite heat sink with high density fins for easily optionally designing the interval of the fins, the thickness and the height of the composite heat sink.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide composite heat sink with high density fins for flexibly changing the number of fin and the interval between the fins to achieve the high density fins in the composite heat sink.
It is therefore an additional object of the present invention to provide a composite heat sink with high density fins and a method for assembling the composite heat sink for reducing the production cost, assembling time, and labor intensive.
It is therefore an additional object of the present invention to provide a composite heat sink with high density fins and a method for assembling the composite heat sink for increasing the strength of the composite heat sink to further improving the supporting effect.
It is therefore an additional object of the present invention to provide a composite heat sink with high density fins and a method for assembling the composite heat sink for avoiding the material waste.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composite heat sink with high density fins. The composite heat sink includes a base and a plurality of fins detachably connected to each other, wherein each fin includes a plate and a bottom perpendicularly extended from a first end of the plate. Furthermore, each bottom of the fin is disposed on a surface of the base.
Preferably, each bottom of the fin includes first slots respectively disposed at two ends of the bottom and first buckling elements outwardly expended from the first slots and disposed at a relative position of the first slots. The first buckling element preferably includes two upward protruding pieces.
Preferably, each fin includes two connecting elements perpendicularly expended from a second end of the plate, respectively. Each connecting element preferably includes a second slot and a second buckling element disposed at opposite position of the first slot and the first buckling element, respectively. Preferably, the first buckling element includes two downward protruding pieces.
For example, an additional fan can be further placed on the top of the composite heat sink.
Preferably, the base and the fins are made of metal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composite heat sink with high density fins. The composite heat sink includes a base, and a plurality of fins detachably connected to each other, each fin includes a plate, a bottom perpendicularly extended from a first end of the plate, and two connecting elements perpendicularly expended from a second end of the plate, respectively. Each bottom of the fin includes first slots which are respectively disposed at two ends of the bottom and first buckling elements which are outwardly expended from the first slots and disposed at a relative position of the first slots, wherein each first buckling element includes two upward protruding pieces. Each connecting element includes a second slot and a second buckling element disposed at opposite position of the first slot and the first buckling element, respectively, wherein each second buckling element includes two downward protruding pieces. Each bottom of the fin is disposed on a surface of the base.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for assembling a composite heat sink with high density fins. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a plurality of fins including a first fin, a second fin, and a third fin, each fin includes a plate, a bottom perpendicularly extended from a first end of the plate, and two connecting elements perpendicularly expended from a second end of the plate, respectively, wherein each the bottom of the fin includes first slots which are respectively disposed at two ends of the bottom and first buckling elements which are outwardly expended from the first slots and disposed at a relative position of the first slots, and each connecting element includes a second slot and a second buckling element disposed at opposite position of the first slot and the first buckling element, respectively, (b) inserting the first and second buckling elements of the first fin into the first and second slots of the second fin, respectively, and inserting the first and second buckling elements of the second fin into the first and second slots of the third fin, respectively, wherein the bottoms of plural fins which are connected to each other form a continuous plane, and (c) connecting and fixing the continuous plane on a surface of the base.
Preferably, the first buckling element includes two upward protruding pieces.
Preferably, the second buckling element includes two downward protruding pieces.
For example, an additional fan cab be further placed on the top of the composite heat sink.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for assembling a composite heat sink with high density fins. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a plurality of fins including a first fin, a second fin, and a third fin, each fin includes a plate, a bottom perpendicularly extended from a first end of the plate, and two connecting elements perpendicularly expended from a second end of the plate, respectively, wherein each bottom of the fin includes first slots which are respectively disposed at two ends of the bottom and first buckling elements which are outwardly expended from the first slots and disposed at a relative position of the first slots, and each connecting element includes a second slot and a second buckling element disposed at opposite position of the first slot and the first buckling element, respectively, (b) inserting the first and second buckling elements of the first fin into the first and second slots of the second fin, respectively, and inserting the first and second buckling elements of the second fin into the first and second slots of the third fin, respectively, to form a first composite member and a second composite member, and (c) arranging and fixing the first and second composite members in parallel on a surface of the base with a particular space for accommodating an engaging member.
The present invention may best be understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: